Football: California practice restrictions bill sent to governor

Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) watches June 15 as the votes are posted for his measure that limits the time high school and middle school football players can be engaged in full-contact drills. The Senate has now approved the bill as well and sent to the governor. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Change is likely to be coming to high school football practices for the 2015 season.

The state Senate sent AB 2127 to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature. It would prohibit middle and high school teams from holding full-contact practices that exceed 90 minutes on a single day, ban teams from holding more than two full-contact practices per week during the season and prohibit teams from conducting contact practices during the off-season.

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Some coaches have criticized the intervention by politicians, but the bill has received support from the California Interscholastic Federation, which runs high school sports in the state.

"I put it together in collaboration with the CIF," said the bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova).

The bill is in response to growing concerns about concussions.

"I have people say, in 10 or 15 years, you won't have high school football," Cooley said. "My view is if concussion of kids is on a parent's mind, this should be reassuring to them. It's pro high school sports."

Several high school football coaches in Southern California expressed concerns about whether there would be enough time to properly teach young players how to tackle with the practice restrictions.

Texas, a hotbed for high school football, has already adopted similar restrictions on contact at practices.

If signed into law, the new restrictions would take place for the 2015 season.